Certain types of hearing instruments have functional properties that are influenced by a firmware. Different firmwares permit varying functions to be implemented, including implementing various function programs and selecting the type of noise suppression or similar functions.
The hearing instrument type, which is sold as a final product to the end user, i.e., the hearing instrument user, ultimately depends on the programming, i.e., on the configuration of the firmware employed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,658,307 discloses a method with which audiological devices, particularly hearing instruments, can be adapted in a simple way to the requirements of the user and with which organizational distribution outlay can be reduced by a method for configuring the functional properties of an audiological device, comprising the steps of: a) providing the audiological device with an IC that can be differently configured in view of functional properties of the IC; b) providing a configuration upgrading information in a suitable data store; c) initially configuring the IC at a manufacturing facility such that the audiological device comprises minimal possible properties in a basic version, and distributing the basic version of the device at a basic price to a middleman or dealer; d) obtaining upgrade information by either: 1) loading configuration upgrading information onto a separate data carrier at the manufacturing facility and distributing the loaded data carrier, to a middleman or dealer, at a price that is dependent on a type and number of configuration upgrading information packages contained on the data carrier for use on a programming station located at the middleman or dealer, or 2) transmitting configuration upgrading information in an online operation from a software memory of a manufacturer at the manufacturing facility, to a buffer memory of a programming station located at the middleman or dealer; e) introducing the IC into the programming station and at least partially reading-in the configuration upgrading information from the separate data carrier or the online operation, into the programming station for programming and upgrading the IC to a customized, higher function level; and f) distributing and billing customers for an audiological device upgraded in this manner such that the billing reflects additional functional properties over the basic version.